Remote control units have gained widespread popularity for use in remotely controlling home entertainment systems, which typically include several devices such as a television set, a cable box or converter, a videocassette recorder, and a stereo. Often, with each device, the manufacturer will supply a remote control unit for use in remotely controlling that device.
A universal remote control unit provides a single unit having a plurality of operating modes for controlling a plurality of devices. Each operating mode allows a user to remotely control a respective one of the devices. Typically, a universal remote control unit includes a plurality of mode push buttons, e.g., CABLE, TV, and VCR push buttons, which correspond to the different devices to be controlled and which are used to directly change the operating mode of the universal remote control unit.
Changing operating modes of the universal remote control is often accomplished by simply pressing the appropriate mode push button, i.e., CABLE, TV or VCR push button. For example, with the universal remote control unit in the cable mode, to turn on the cable box, a user presses a POWER push button. Next, if the user wants to turn on the television set, the user must first press the TV push button then the POWER push button. Thereafter, in order to operate the cable box again, the user must then press the CABLE push button before selecting, for example, the channel up or down push buttons on the universal remote control unit. Later, if the user wishes to turn off the television and the cable box, the user must press the CABLE push button, the POWER push button, the TV push button, and then the POWER push button.
A drawback with this type of universal remote control unit is that it is easy for a user to unintentionally change the operating mode of the universal remote control unit by inadvertently pressing the CABLE, TV or VCR push buttons. Another drawback is that the operation of the universal remote control is often confusing, particularly when a user first turns on several devices and desires to control one of the devices without first placing the universal remote control back in the proper operating mode to control that device. A further drawback is that numerous button presses are typically required to turn on/off multiple devices.
Other universal remote control units have included a single mode push button instead of separate push buttons corresponding to each of the devices. By pressing the mode push button, the operating mode of the universal remote control unit changes, i.e., cycles, from one operating mode to the next.
A drawback with this type of universal remote control unit is that it is often necessary to press the mode push button a number of times in order to change from one operating mode to another. Another drawback with this type of universal remote control unit is that it is also easy for a user to unintentionally change the operating mode of the universal remote control unit by inadvertently pressing the mode push button.